New year, new books! This week we devoured the novella In An Absent Dream by Seanan McGuire, and had a lovely time chatting with YA author Betsy Cornwell. (Transcript) In today’s episode… Today we chat about In An Absent Dream by Seanan McGuire. Katherine Lundy is quiet, serious, and studious. She’d rather be reading a book than playing with her friends, and expects that a wholly ordinary life awaits her in a distant Adulthood. But all that changes when a door appears before her and invites her in to the Goblin Market, where Fairness is the driving force and rules are never made to be broken. It’s the perfect world for Lundy to thrive, but Lundy has to choose between growing old and ordinary with her family, or staying in the Goblin Market forever.  

Today’s episode is perfect for cyberpunk and Sci-Fi fans – join us as we discuss Stronger, Faster, and More Beautiful by Arwen Elys Dayton. (Transcript) In today’s episode… Arwen Elys Dayton’s new book Stronger, Faster and More Beautiful is a collection of six stories spanning a couple hundred years of human experimentation with genetic modification. Six teens provide different perspectives on the social, emotional, and political implications of this brave new world.   These Show Notes use Amazon Affiliate Links for your convenience. If you decide to purchase this book, please consider doing so through our affiliate links. Your support makes this podcast possible.   Episode highlights…   Spoiler-Free *1:20 We loved the premise and the narrative voices in this book *3:33 We nerd out about anagrams *5:45 We have a lengthy discussion regarding the

Sea monsters, pirates, and lost treasure? All of that (and more) awaits you in this weeks episode. Join us as we chat about Salt by Hannah Moskowitz. (Transcript) In today’s episode… Salt by Hannah Moskowitz Monster hunting on a wide ocean is all the Indy knows and he knows that he hates it when his parents vanish on a long hunt. His older sister takes control of the family leading Indy and his two younger siblings to continue the fight. Indy has to choose between the siblings he loves desperately and a life of peace on land that feels like all he’s ever wanted.   These Show Notes use Amazon Affiliate Links for your convenience. If you decide to purchase this book, please consider doing so through our affiliate links. Your support makes this podcast possible.

Today we chat about Seafire by Natalie C. Parker, with YA author Emily Skrutskie. Seafire has kick-ass lady pirates, and tons of action. What’s not to love? (Transcript)   In today’s episode…   In Natalie C. Parker’s new book, Seafire, we are brought into a world where the seas and colonies are under the control of a brutal warlord. The protagonist Caledonia Styx leads her all-female crew in raids against his fleet. When her second in command shows mercy to a single enemy sailor whom she claimed saves her life Caledonia is forced to choose between everything she’s ever believed about the enemy, and trusting her own crew.   These Show Notes use Amazon Affiliate Links for your convenience. If you decide to purchase this book, please consider doing so through our affiliate links. Your support

  The Forest Queen by Betsy Cornwell isn’t ‘just’ a Robin Hood retelling, it also serves up strong lady friendships, and a sharp look at power and privilege. (Transcript)     In today’s episode… In The Forest Queen, sixteen year old Silvie has been born into a life of nobility and privilege. She has spent her entire life hating and fearing her cruel brother John and hiding from his wrath with her closest friend, a commoner nicknamed Bird. When Silvie and Bird come across another person turned away from her own home, Little Jane, they make a plan to escape into the forest. With Little Jane and midwife Mae Tuck, they build a community in the forest and in harmony with nature. Silvie only wanted to save herself, but as their community grows, she has

Reading, writing, and … exorcisms? That’s all before lunch. YA novelist Erin Callahan is here to chat on When Life Gives You Demons by Jennifer Honeybourn. (transcript) In today’s episode… When Life Gives You Demons by Jennifer Honeybourn is a new spin on the teenage monster hunter trope. This time, Shelby has been training to be an exorcist, a secret she’s kept from everyone but her uncle and absent mother. So, yeah, on top of bio (the worst) and geometry (the worst), she has to come home and study Latin. Stuff happens, Shelby learns stuff – it’s a summer romp within a terrifying subgenre of supernatural fiction.   These Show Notes use Amazon Affiliate Links for your convenience. If you decide to purchase this book, please consider doing so through our affiliate links. Your support

Emily Skrutskie’s new sci-fi novel Hullmetal Girls is a world of economic inequality, a militarized police force, and humanity’s last breath. (transcript)   In today’s episode…   In Emily Skrutskie’s new sci-fi novel Hullmetal Girls, humanity has spent centuries in a fleet of starships searching for a new planet. We follow two protagonists, one from a background of poverty, the other from a background of privilege, as they are transformed into cyborg weapons for the fleet’s oppressive army. They have to learn to work together and decide whether to stand with their programming and the General Body or the rebellious Fractionists—and try not to kill each other along the way.     These Show Notes use Amazon Affiliate Links for your convenience. If you decide to purchase this book, please consider doing so through our

Carrie Fountain’s new book I’m Not Missing is an exploration of friendship, loss, and not repeating the mistakes of the past. (transcript)   In today’s episode…   In Carrie Fountain’s I’m Not Missing, Miranda and Syd are best friends, brought even closer together by their shared trauma of being abandoned by their mothers. When Syd disappears and all Miranda finds is a note that says, ‘I’m gone; I’m not missing,’ Miranda is heartbroken that she’s been left again. She wants answers, but Syd isn’t responding to her texts. And as she grows closer to Nick Allison, she uncovers some truths that make her wonder how much she even knew her best friend.   These Show Notes use Amazon Affiliate Links for your convenience. If you decide to purchase this book, please consider doing so through

Zen and Gone by Emily France is a story of sisterhood, self-care, and self discovery (with a side of romance), all set in the beautiful Colorado mountains. Our guest today is writer and blogger Samantha Leidig. (transcript)   In today’s episode… In Zen and Gone by Emily France, we meet sisters Essa and Puck who live in Boulder, Colorado. Essa’s taking the bulk of raising Puck since their mom spends most of her time high. Puck is precocious, vivacious, and mischievous, and Essa gets very little time to relax. Her only chance to be herself is her practice at the Zendo and her weekend trips to do some orienteering. When a new guy, Oliver, moves to town, Essa tries to include him, despite what a city-slicker he is. Puck stows away on the trip, though, and doesn’t

Erin Callahan’s debut novel The Art of Escaping is a fun and fresh read about escapology, testing your limits, and finding  your passion. (transcript)   In today’s episode… The Art of Escaping by Erin Callahan is about 17-year-old Mattie, who flies under the radar despite her parents’ push to be more exceptional and well-rounded. The thing is, she’s only ever really had a passionate interest in escapology. When she works up the courage to seek out the daughter of a legendary escape artist, a new world is open to her – one of handcuffs and straightjackets and death-defying stunts for a live audience. But when Will, her high school basketball team’s golden boy, sees her perform, she feels like her secret is about to come crashing down around her. But Will has secrets too, and

In Jek/Hyde by Amy Ross, a gothic classic finds a new home in a shiny research town. Join us as we talk about loyalty, the #metoo movement, and the darkness inside. (transcript)     In today’s episode…   Amy Ross’s novel Jek/Hyde offers a new vision of the gothic novella, “The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde” by Robert Louis Stevenson. In the midwestern town of London, science and research loom large. Lulu and Jek have been best friends forever but he’s recently become distant, closing himself off in his lab. He’s made a new friend, a bad boy, Hyde who seems to push their usual parties out of control, Lulu’s hearing strange rumors about Hyde, and she begins to worry for Jek’s safety … and her own feelings.   These Show Notes